Farm-gate.



Patented Dec. 26, |899. T. F. DE WITT.

FARM GATE.

(Application led Apr. 6, 1899. Renewed Nov. 17, 1899.)

(No Model.)

I /ZENTOR.

F1 El. l f5 I/SSES. l @QM/ THE Nunms vErERs co.. PNCITULITHO.. wAsHlNTON. .El4 o` UNITED STATES PATENT CEECE,`

TI-IEODORE F DE WITT, OF OVID, MICHIGAN.

FARM-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,963, dated December 26, 1899;

Application led April 6, 1899. Renewed November 17, 1899. Serial No. 737,380. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, THEODORE F. DE WITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ovid, in the county of Clinton, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Farm-Gates; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in farm-gates; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed ont particularly in the claim.

The object of the invention is to provide a gate of simple and inexpensive construction in which the arrangement is such as to enable the greater portion of the weight of the gate to be mechanically supported during the operation of opening and closing the gate, so as to relieve the operator from the necessity of carrying one end of the gate. A further arrangement provides for the raising of the gate above the ground and supporting it in its raised position to allow the passage of small stock under the gate or to remove the gate in its operation above the level of drifted snow or other obstruction. This object is attained by the arrangement and association of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which-` Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved gate. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a Vertical transverse section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The gate may be of any suitable construction; but the form herein shown is preferred because of its lightness and strength and its adaptability to the particular operation desired.

A designates a central longitudinal bar which extends horizontally from end to end of the gate, being united at its opposite ends to the opposed end pieces B and C, respectively, of the gate. Crossing the bar A at its longitudinal center is the Vertical center piece D, which is iirmly united to said bar A.

The longitudinal barv A is of sufficient thickness .to aord a track the under side of which is adapted to rest upon the supporting-roller a of the gate, and said bar is of such strength as to support the gate without permitting its ends to sag. Extending parallel to said central bar upon either side thereof is a series of wire strands b, which are twisted together in any suitable manner and areadapted to embrace the vertical piece D in such manner as to firmly maintain them in place upon said piece. The opposite ends of said wire-strands are attached to the end pieces of the gate, respectively, while between the central gatepiece and the end pieces said wires are adapted to embrace and support the short interwoven slats c, the slat c' of which terminates at the strand of wire b, immediately below the bar A, so as to remove its upper end from the path of the roller ct as the gate slides rearwardly in the operation of opening.

E designates the jarnb-post against which the gate is adapted to close.

F and @designate the posts which support the gate and between which the gate is hung. Said posts F and G, as will be seen, are 1ocated upon opposite sides of the gate, one a little in advance of the other. Upon the opposed edges of said posts F and G are mounted the lower and upper set of brackets d and e. These brackets curve outwardly from' their respective posts in opposite directions, so that their outer ends, which are apertured to receive the journal-pin f of the roller a, stand in alinement to enable said pin to be passed from one to the other and through said roller, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the operation of opening the gate the operator slides the gate rearwardly, the bar A riding upon the roller until the gate is arrested by contact with said roller of the cen- IOO 'the under edge of the center rail A.

2 esae The end of the gate is provided with a suitable projecting latch g, which enters a keeper h in the post E.

As an additional security to prevent stock from opening the gate by raising the front end thereof, the hook i is employed, which is journaled to the inner face of the post E and is adapted to engage over the pin o, projecting from the face of the end piece B, as shown in Fig. l.

Should a heavy drift of snow prevent the gate from beingr swung upon its ordinary level, itmay be raised by withdrawing the journal# pin f from the lower brackets d, elevating the rear end of the gate, and supporting it upon the pivoted arm m, mounted upon the post G and adapted to be swung over so as to engage (See dotted lines in Fig. 3.) The journal-pin is then inserted in the upper brackets E, so as to support the roller a thereon between said brackets, when the arm m is swung back to its normal position, enabling the gate to be opened and swung free from accumulated snow or maintained in an elevated position when closed, as shown by a dotted line in Fig. 1, to enable the passage of small stock thereunder.

Having thus fully set forth this invention, what is claimed is- The combination of the gate having the central longitudinal bar, the supporting-posts 1ocated on opposite sides of said gate one a little in advance of the other, the lower and the upper set of brackets mounted on said posts adapted to receive and support a journal-pin at right angles to the line of the gate, a roller upon said pin between said brackets, and means for supporting the gate to enable the journal-pin to be changed from one set of brackets to the other set.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifica tion in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE F. DE WITT.

Witnesses:

JOHN LINK, GEORGE EDsoN. 

